[B-Greek] Off-topic: German NT Scholarship

Peter Phillips p.m.phillips at cliffcollege.org
Tue Oct 21 16:28:47 EDT 2003


Plenty of NT scholars were and still are German.  Many would argue that NT
scholarship has its home in Germany - it certainly was the hive of activity
in the last century.  Perhaps it was because modern theories of criticism
and hermeneutic method were pioneered in Germany, perhaps because of the
overflow from the Protestant Reformation and the focus on Scripture in the
vernacular and the dictum 'sola scriptura'.  At present the pendulum seems
to have slipped via France structuralism) to America (literary criticism),
although perhaps it is now going back to France (postmodern
criticism/intertextuality) via Hispanic communities (liberation).  Who
knows.  I note, however, the importance in NT of the UBS and Nestle-Aland
editions - perhaps that shows the importance of both spheres with the
American/British UBS work now coalescing with the INTTR at Munster.

But safe to say this is all pretty basic to NT studies.  The problem is not
enough of us know German well enough to read the really good bits!

Pete Phillips
New Testament Tutor,
Cliff College,
Sheffield.




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